Lawyers for University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel said Friday he will fight to save his job, and they asked school officials to meet with them Saturday.
Athletic director Barbara Hedges announced Thursday that she was firing Neuheisel for gambling on the past two NCAA basketball tournaments and for initially being dishonest with NCAA investigators about his involvement.
It wasn’t known whether interim university president Lee Huntsman, Hedges or the university’s counsel would agree to the meeting Saturday, which is graduation day.
Neuheisel maintains he didn’t realize he was breaking NCAA rules by gambling in a pool with friends and neighbors. He referred to an athletic department memo, distributed by compliance director Dana Richardson.
A March 13 athletic department e-mail that appeared to authorize gambling in off-campus pools–contradicting the NCAA’s position–is at the center of the school’s internal investigation.
Neuheisel is on suspension with pay. Under the terms of his contract, he has until June 26 to appeal.
– Tulane President Scott Cowen wants the presidents of 52 universities excluded from the Bowl Championshp Series to join his campaign to change or do away with the system that governs college football’s postseason.
Tulane’s football program has had mixed results since leaving the Southeastern Conference in 1966. The Green Wave are now a member of Conference USA.
Cowen said the BCS hurts non-members, not only by excluding them from the big-money bowls, but by damaging their ability to build a fan base.
Cowen contends the BCS, which was formed in 1998 in an effort to match the top two teams in a national championship game, is unfair because it allows certain Division I-A schools access to winning a national title.
– Running back Thomas Jones was traded by Arizona to Tampa Bay for wide receiver Marquise Walker. Jones had 511 yards on 138 carries last season. Walker sprained his right thumb during the exhibition season and was placed on injured reserve.
